And john wagner



(No Model.)

MACHINE FOR FILLING CANS. No. 297,549. Patented Am.

2 Sheets -Sheet 2.

G. AOKERMANN & J. WAGNER.

|N\/ENTORS ATTEST- fir/ UNrrE TATES GEORGE ACKERMANN, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, AND JOHN IVAGNER, OF DAY- TON, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD TO CHARLES F. LOIIDON, OF'

CINCINNATI, OHIO.

MACHINE FOR FILLING CANS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 297,549, dated April 29, 1884.

Application filed December 27, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, GEORGE AOKERMANN,

a resident of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, and JOHN WAGNER, a resident of the town of Dayton, in the county of Campbell and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Filling Cans, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention in general relates to a machine for filling cans with suitable material such, for example, as fruit, vegetables, meats, or other food, or material of any kind sufficiently small or comminute to pass through the machine.

The principal objects of our invention are to provide mechanism which shall deliver to the cans the requisite amount of material to fill such can, and no more, and which also shall force the material into the can.

The several features of our invention, and the various advantages resulting from their use conjointly or otherwise, will be apparent from the following description.

Referring to the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is an elevation of one side of the machine; and Fig. 2 is an elevation of the opposite side of the machine that portion of themachine lying above a horizontal plane through the dotted line :0 x of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation, the section being taken at the vertical transverse center of the machine-via, through the dotted line y y of Fig. 1, and looking toward the side which is at the left in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a view showing the interior of the filling-tube and the plungers for forcing the material into the cans. Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of one of the plungers, showing the preferred construction of same. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the table or shelf on which the cans to be filled are supported. Figs. 7 and 8 represent the preferred mechanism for cutting off the supply of material to the cans.

A represents the table or equivalent supporting frame-work of the machine, and on top of this table are secured the ends of a semicircular tube, A. On top of this tube A are formed two short tubes, at a, preferably of the same diameter as said tube A, and on top of these last-named tubes is secured a plate, B, which plate is provided at each side with the upturned flanges or guides I). (See Fig. 8.) The plate 13 at the points to which the tubes at a are secured is provided with holes of a diameter equal to that of the said tubes, so that fruit or vegetables, &c., will fall freely through the tubes at a and into the semicircular tube A.

Above the plate B and between the guides b is a plate, B, (see more particularly Fig. 8,) capable of sliding longitudinally between said guides, and on top of this plate B are secured short tubes C C, the distance between these tubes CC being such that when the tube 0 is 6 5 directly over the tube a the tube 0 will bebeyond the tube a and out of communication with the latter, as shown in Fig. l.

Above the plate B is another plate, D, to the lower side of which are secured the short 1.) tubes (1 cl, which latter tubes respectively telescope into the tubes C C. The plate D at the points to which the tubes (Z d are secured is perforated to allow material to fall freely into said tubes. The horizontal plane of this 7 plate D is adjustable by means of standards D, the lower ends of which rest upon and are secured to theplate B, and the upper ends of which pass through the plate D. The ends of these standards above and below said plate are provided with set-nuts (Z cl. The plates B D, tubes C C d d, and standards Dthus form a sliding carriage, which, for convenience of reference, we will designate as an entirety by the letter D and which is caused to slide back and forth by suitable mechanism, preferably by such as is hereinafter described. Above this carriage D is a trough or box, E, in which the fruit or vegetables, &c. tobe canned areplaced. This box E is supported at each end by a yoke 0 or bracket, E, the lower ends of which are secured to lugs 6, connected to the plate B, the lower ends of the yokes E being provided with slots 6, through which pass set-screws 6 which are screwed into the lugs e, to secure the yokes 5 to said lugs. This construction is the prep ferred one for enabling box E and its append ages to be vertically adjusted.

' gems i9 a of tube a, is subsequently in turn forced out of the end A of the tube A, and also through a funnel M, when the latter is present, into an other can.

At each side of the machine, below each end of the semicircular tube A, is a shelf or table, M, (see Fig. 1,) on which the cans to be filled are placed, and 011 top of this shelf M are the adjustable guides or stops m, see Fig. 6,) against which the can is placed to keep it directly under the end of the funnel or mouth of tube A, and these stops may be adjusted to keep/the center of differentsized cans directly under the center of the end of the said funnel or mouth of tube A.

In conjunction with each end of the tube A is secured a funnel, M, whose interior is in communication with the tube A. The lower end of each of these funnels is adapted to fit into the upper open portion or top of the can and in the top of the shelf M, and on a level therewith, and directly under the open end of the funnel M is a circular disk, N, upon which disk the can rests when under the funnel M. The distance between the lower end of the funnel M and the shelf M is a little greater than the height of the cans to be filled, so that the can may be readily placed beneath the funnel. The disk N is capable of being raised, thus raising the can, so that the mouth of the funnel M will enter the top of the can. In Fig. 1 the can V is shown in dotted lines, at the right hand in said figure, resting down on the shelf, and at the left-hand side is shown raised to cause the funnel to enter the top of the can. 7

One of the simplest and most convenient means for raising the disk N is that shown in the drawings. The disk N is securedto the up per end of a rod, N, which is capable of sliding up and down in supports a, and the lower end of this rod N rests on one end of a lever, N pivoted to the edge of the frame A, the other end of which is connected to a treadle, N, by a rod, n, so that when the treadle is depressed the disk N and the can shown in dotted lines are elevated, as shown at the lefthand side of Fig. 1. The weight of the filled can will usually cause the disk to descend and the treadle to be raised as soon as the pressure of the operators foot is removed from the treadle; but to positively insure in such a case the descent of the disk and the treadle, we prefer to employ, in conjunction, a spring in this instance a spiral one-connected at one end to an adjacent leg, R, of the frame, or equivalent fixed support, and at the other end connected to the inner end of lever N The piston-heads K K cannot enter the funnels M, and a certain amount of the material being canned would remain in these funnels were no means provided for removing it, and when the can is removed from under said funnels this material would fall onto the shelf M; and to prevent this we construct the piston-heads, preferably as shown in section in Fig. 5. The head is made in the form of a hollow shell, K, through the upper side or end of which the piston-rod K passes, and to the other end of the piston-rod, Within the shell it, is secured the upper end of a supple- To the upper end excetwhenthes ringlc iscom ressed. Thus P t P when the piston-head is away from the end of the semicircular tube A the front end of the piston, including the front end of the supplemental piston, is in a continuous plane, and the material in this tube is forced in front of the piston into the funnel M. When the piston-head reaches the upper end of the funnel, the lower end of the shell It strikes the upper end of the funnel, as shown in Fig. 5, and can go no farther; but the piston-rod K continuing to advance, the spring k is compressed, and the supplemental piston K is advanced into the funnel, and the material in the latter is thus forced out into the can.

The various parts of the operating mechanism of the machine as above described are soarranged that when the piston K has completed its stroke to the end of the semicircular tube the piston K is just above the opening of the tube a into the semicircular tube, as shown in Fig. 4. The can under the right-hand end of the semicircular tube has now been filled, and is removed by the operator at that side of the machine, and the operator at the other end of the tube places a can on the shelf M un der that end of the tube. At this stage in the operation of the machine the cam Jhas moved the carriage l) to the end of its movement toward the right in Fig. 1, and the tube 0 d, which has previously been filled with material through the tube F, is directly over the tube a. The contents of the tube 0 (Z thus fall through the tube a into the semicircular tube A in front of the piston-head K The continued revolution of the shaft G causes the piston-rod K to move toward the opposite end of the semicircular tube A, and the piston-head K forces the material in front of it into the can under that end of the tube A, in the manner above described. XVhile this movement of the piston is being made, the cam J moves'the carriage D toward the left in Fig. 1, and the tube Cd, which has been filled with material through the tube F, is brought directly over the tube a, and the material falls from the tube 0 (2 through the tube a and into the semicircular tube in front of the piston K, and the tube 0 d, which is now away from the upper opening of the tube a and under the tube F, is again filled. The continued revolution of shaft G now causes the piston-rod K to move toward the end A of tube A, and this piston-head K forces the material in front of it into an empty can placed under this end of the tube A. In this manner the carriage D and the piston-rod K are alternately moved to the right and to the left, and the cans under the right and left hand ends of the semicircular tube are alternately filled, the box E being kept supplied with the material to be canned. Of course, liquid as well as or along with solid material may be delivered through tube A into the can.

Our device also enables us, when it becomes desirable, after the can has been partly filled with a definite liquid or liquor, before being brought under the tube A, the can then being under said tube, to fill the remaining placed space of the can with a different desired material, usually of a non'liquid character, through the tube A.

It may be desirable at times to prevent the delivery of material to the semicircular tube A through one or both of the tubes a or a without stopping the motion of the machine, and to accomplish this we provide a suitable device. A desirable device for this purpose consists of sliding gates 0, (see Figs. 7 and 8,) one such gate being provided for tube a and another for tube a. Each gate is held in position by guideways P, secured to the under side of the plate B, and is capable of being slid over the upper opening of its respective tube a or to. These slides are each provided with an appropriate handle, as p, by which the slide may be moved back and forth, so that the operator at either end of the tube A may at will stop the delivery of material to the cans.

From the above description it will be seen that we are enabled to fill cans very rapidly and without any waste or danger of overflowing the cans, as just a sufficient quantity, and no more, of the material to be canned is de livered to each can.

Obviously one half portion of the tube A and one of the pistons K or K", as the case may be, are (when desired) to be dispensed with, along with the apparatus particularly adapted to enable it to carry out its own particular functions, as distinguished from the other portion of the tube and-from the piston of the latter, and from the mechanism for carrying its functions of feed, delivery, 850., into effect.

Whilethe various features of our invention are preferably employed together, one or more of such features may be employed without the remainder. When desired, one or more of such features may, so far as applicable, be employed in connection with filling mechanism other than that particularly herein specified.

\Vhat we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In a machine for filling cans, the combination of a curved tube occupying a portion of the circumference of a circle, a piston reciprocating in said tube, and mechanism for regulating the supply of canning material to the piston and delivering said material in front of the piston, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. Inamaehine for filling cans, atube having a supply-opening and a delivering-opening,

an interiorly-reciprocating piston, plate B, a

measure-tube sliding with plate D, and asupply-box having'a delivery tube or opening for delivery, at stated periods, to the measuringtube, of the material to be canned, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. In a machine for filling cans, atube carrying a reciprocating piston, plate B, adjustable telescopic measure, sliding plate D, and a supply-box having a tube or opening for delivcry to the measure, substantiallyas and for the purposes specified.

4. A machine for filling cans, consisting of a semicircular tube, having an interior piston provided with mechanism for causing it to move in both directions in said tube, and mechanism, substantially as described, for delivering the material to said tube alternately in front of the opposite ends of said piston, the latter being adapted to force the material from the ends of said tube, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

5. In a can-filling machine, the semicircular tube A, provided with an interior piston, said piston being connected to mechanism for causing it to move back and forth in said tube, and .the tube A being provided with the inlettubes a a, in combination with the box or receptacle E, and intervening mechanism, substantially as described, for causing some of the contents of said box to be alternately delivered to the tubes at a, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

6. The semicircular tube A, provided with inlet-tubes a a, and the box E, supported above said tube and provided with tubes F F, in combination with the sliding carriage D carrying the tubes 0 d and C (1, said last-named tubes being adapted to communicate alternately with the tubes F F above and the tubes a to below, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

7 The semicircular tube A, provided with inlet-tubes a a, having a plate, B, secured on their upper ends, and the box E, provided with tubes E E, and supported on brackets E, connected to the plate B, in combination with the sliding carriage D consisting of the plates D and B, and carrying the tubes 0 (Z and C d, the plate B resting and sliding on the plate B, and the plate D resting against the lower ends of the tubes F F, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

8. In a can-filling machine, the combination of the telescopic tubes 0 d G d, sliding plate D, rigidly connected to tubes 61 d, plate B, and a forcing-tube provided with tubes or openings a a, and the supply-box E, having tubes or openings F F, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

9. The combination of the box E, provided with tubes F ll, and supported on brackets E", connected to plate B, and capable of vertical adjustment, and the carriage D resting and capable of sliding on said plate B, and consisting of the plate 13 D, carrying the telescopic tubes 0 d and 0 cl, the plate D, when the plate B rests on the plate B, being held against the lower ends of the tubes F F by means of the standards D, having set-nuts d d", substantially as and for the purposes specified.

10. The semicircular tube A, provided with the interior piston-heads, K K, connected to opposite ends of a piston-rod, K, the latter being connected to one end of a vibrating rod, L, the other end of said rod being connected to a rock-shaft, L, in combination with the sliding carriage D constructed substantially as described, andprovided with a yoke, 1, and the cam J, connected to a shaft, I, and engaging with said yoke, and the operatingshaft G, and connecting and operating mechanism, substantially as described, for causing the cam J to revolve and the rod L to vibrate,

substantially as and for the purposes specified.

11. The semicircular tube A, having an interior piston, K K K connected to one end of a rod, L, the other end of said rod being connected to a rock-shaft, L, provided with a crank-arm, L", in combination with the driving-shaft G, shaft GR, gear-wheels G 9 crank G and connecting-rod Z, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

12. The sliding carriage D constructed and supported substantially as described, in combination with the shaft I, having cam J, and the driving-shaft G and shaft G and connecting and operating mechanism, substantially as described, for causing the shaft I and cam J to revolve to cause the carriage l) to move back and forth, substantially as and for the purposes specified. I

13..In combination with the curved tube suitably supported, a funnel, M, located at the end of the tube, and a piston-head operating in said tube, the head consisting of a shell, 7t, and an interior supplemental piston, K, adapted to be advanced beyond the end of the shell is, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

14. The semicircular tube A, connected to the table A, and having at each end a funnel,

M, in combination with the interior piston-- heads, K K each head consisting of a shell, 75, and an interior supplemental piston, K adapted to be advanced beyond the end of the shell 7;, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

15. The combination of the curved tube and funnel M, and a hollow piston-head, K, operating in said tube, and the supplemental piston K adapted to lie in the hollow piston and to be advanced beyond the end of the latter, and an elastic spring for retracting the supplemental piston when pressure thereon by the piston-rod is removed, substantially as and for the purposes specified. I

16. The combination of the shell is and the interior supplemental piston, K connected to V the piston-rod K, and having at its inner end a flange or stop, 76, and the spring k", compressed between said flange or stop and the bottom of the shell k, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

17. The semicircular tube A, constructed and supported substantially as described, and the sh elves M, located beneath the ends of said tube, and each provided with a disk, N, and mechanism, substantially as described, for causing said disks to be raised and lowered, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

18. The table or shelf M, provided with adjustable stops at and with the disk N, in combination with the treadle N rod a, lever N and rod N, for causing said disk to be raised, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

19. The semicircular tube A, having inlettubes a a, the upper end of the last-named tubes being each provided with asliding gate or cover, 0, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

GEO. AOKERMANN. JOHN \VAGNER.

Witnesses:

J NO. W. STREHLI, WALTER CHAMBERLIN.

(No Model.) s Sheets-Shem, 1..

J. AGNEW.

MAOHINE FOR S TRAIGHTENING METAL RODS. No. 297,550. Patented Apr. 29, 1884. 

